South Asia weekly report | Vol. X Issue 50

Country Reports

Afghanistan

More foreigners join IS

International and Afghan reports state that a number of French and Algerian fighters have joined the ranks of the Islamic State in Afghanistan as the militant group attempts to establish more bases in the northern part of the country. It is the first time that the presence of French IS fighters has been recorded in Afghanistan, and comes as analysts suggested foreigners may be heading for the war-torn country after being driven from Syria and Iraq.For more information, see: “French fighters appear with Islamic State in Afghanistan”, The Economic Times

Paper-ballot for polls

Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) has submitted a proposal on the upcoming parliamentary election’s paper-ballot system. The IEC has previously planned to digitize the elections and a digital voters’ list. However, now the voters’ list will be prepared based on the paper-type identity cards that people currently hold. On the election day, people holding paper type identity documents will be allowed to vote.

Bangladesh

No poll talks with BNP

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has categorically said that she would not take any effort to convince opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to participate in the next general election. She further added that BNP would have to decide for itself if it would run in the election. Parliamentary election are likely to take place by end of 2018. BNP did not participate in 2014 election resulting which some doubts about the impartiality of the election.

Export targets up

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has expressed hope that annual income from export of the country will hit $60 billion by 2021. “After independence Bangladesh used to earn just $348 million annually from export. But now the country earns $38.5 billion annually and we hope to raise it to $60 billion by 2021,” the Minister observed.

Bhutan

Talks on with Thailand

The third annual bilateral consultation between Bhutan and Thailand was held on December 1 in Thailand. Foreign secretary Sonam Tshong led the Bhutanese delegation while Permanent secretary Busaya Mathelin led the 20-member Thai delegation.

Decision on LG funds

In order to minimise the misuse of funds, the local governments or gewogs have to deposit the revenue collected from the public in the official account, the joint sitting of the Parliament decided on December 5.

India

UNESCO recognition for Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela has been recognised by UNESCO as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity", a tweet by the international organisation has said. The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the UN body inscribed Kumbh Mela on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" at its 12th session in Jeju, South Korea.

China protests ‘UAV crash’

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the Indian Army that crashed into the Chinese side of the border was on a regular training mission and lost contact with ground control due to technical problem, the Ministry of Defence said in New Delhi. In a statement, it also claimed that “as per standard protocol, the Indian border security personnel immediately alerted their Chinese counterparts to locate the UAV”.

The Indian clarification came in the wake of China’s defence ministry accusing India of violating its airspace. “The Indian move violated China's territorial sovereignty. We strongly express our dissatisfaction and opposition," deputy director of the Chinese Army’s western theatre combat bureau Zhang Shuil, said in a statement.

WA approves India membership

In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) on Thursday decided to admit India as its new member, which is expected to raise New Delhi's stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies. The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna.

Support for Palestine

India’s position on Palestine was “consistent and independent” and not determined by a third country, India said on Thursday within hours of US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, dealing a huge blow to the peace efforts in West Asia. “India’s position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Maldives

Yameen in China, defends FTA

In Beijing on a two-day State visit, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and other senior leaders. The two sides also signed 12 agreements, including those on bilateral FTA and multilateral OBOR. Maldives said that there was nothing for nation’s neighbours to fear from the FTA while China’s Global Times said India should ‘calm down’ on Maldives FTA.

For more information, see: “China-Maldives FTA among 12 agreements penned during Yameen’s visit”, Maldives Independent, 9 December 2017; “Key Agreements signed between the Maldives and China”, SunOnline

Nasheed meets Ranil

Self-exiled former Maldivian President Mohammed ‘Anni’ Nasheed met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo and discussed the current political situation in his country. According to a senior leader of the Joint Opposition in Maldives, Nasheed has arrived in Colombo on an ‘important mission’, but he did not elaborate.

Myanmar

UNHRC resolution opposed

The Myanmar government has expressed its opposition against a resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with regard to the Rakhine issue, but pledged efforts to address the challenges of Rakhine state.

SSA, TNLA clash

The Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), clashed with Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Namtu, a town in northern Shan State, according to Lower House MP Nan Kham Aye representing Namtu constituency on December 6.

Thai family killed

Five Myanmarese migrant workers are suspected of killing four members of a Thai family, including a five-year-old child, over an unpaid debt. All were working on a rubber plantation in the central Thai province of Prachuap Khiri Khan when the incident happened on Tuesday, according to Channel 7 TV in Thailand.

Nepal

PM Deuba successfully completes polls

Back in the days of his second tenure, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had quite the allegation of not being competent enough for holding the elections on time and also dissolving the Parliament in 2002 leading to an autocratic framework by the then King. However, this year has been different and he has been able to successfully hold the local as well as the Provincial and Parliamentary polls within the stipulated constitutional deadline. This has set a new chapter in political transition and Constitutional amendment in the country.

Help for industrial villages

As the country is progressing towards better economic development, the government has assured to provide all necessary help to the local bodies for the establishment of industrial villages. The Ministry of Industry (MOI) has been quite proactive in this regard and has asked for the provision of local land for such an implementation.

Pakistan

Mom & wife to meet Jadhav

Pakistan has allowed the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the alleged Indian spy, to meet him on 25 December. They will be accompanied by an Indian embassy official, as requested by the Indian government. Mr. Jadhav, who India claimed was a former Navy official, was apprehended by Pakistan law enforcement agencies on 3 March 2016. Over a month later he was sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court. His clemency appeal is pending with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for the past four months. Pakistani officials said there are still two forums of appeal left even if the Army Chief rejects his mercy plea.

Devaluation on the cards

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached an agreement to allow the rupee to depreciate. The State Bank of Pakistan will now let the currency exchange rate to adjust to the market conditions after years of resisting expectations. The timing of the agreement with the IMF was planned to ensure that $2.5 billion worth of receipts from international bonds will materialise. It allowed the Pakistani rupee to touch Rs110 to a dollar, before settling down to Rs.107.

Sri Lanka

China hands over Hambantota port

Sri Lanka has formally handed over the southern Hambantota Port to China, accepting in turn, with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking to give a positive spin, declaring that the first tranche of $ 292-m of the $ 1.2-b agreement was the single largest inflow in four decades. In a separate development, the IMF completed the third review of the nation’s extended facility and approved $ 251.4-m credit to Sri Lanka.

SLFP, Joint Opposition fail to reach agreement

With President Maithiripala Sirisena-led SLFP faction and the Joint Opposition (JO) identified with his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa failing to come to any agreement, the two sides are expected to contest the upcoming nation-wide local government polls, which is said to benefit Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UNP. This, even as the UNP-SLFP got another round of massive parliamentary vote, this time for Budget-2018, with a 155-56 vote-tally in the 225-member House.

For more information, see: “UNP in front due to SLFP-JO split: Amaraweera”, Daily Mirror Online, 8 December 2017; “Tie-up with SLFP failed as ministers reluctant to give up perks: JO”, Daily Mirror Online